Build your endurance as a writer. The more you write the better you get--plain and simple.
Practice what you know (and what we have learned in class) about conventional paragraphing, spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation. The more you practice the more ingrained these skills will become.
Take a deliberate stance as a writer. Use your writing to say something.
Take care of all the materials that Mr. Isaacs, Mr. MacDonald and the SMPA community provide to you.
Use all the time that is given to you (in class, in academic hall) as effectively as possible. Use it to write, to struggle, to create, to confer, and to move your writing forward.
Write as much as you can as well as you can.
Ask questions. If you need help, are confused, or just want to know more--ask!
Procedures
Save everything. It is all a part of the history of the piece. Nothing is worthless.
Begin each writing session by rereading what you've already written. Establish where you already are in the piece then pick up momentum.
We will conduct a "Status of the Class" for each Writer's Workshop session. Be prepared to provide a working title for what you are working on and what stage you are at.
Organize your "Writing in Progress" properly in your GoogleDocs Collections and share them with Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Isaacs. Your collections should be:
Resources: these are files that Mr. Isaacs/Mr. MacDonald have shared w/ you to help your writing
Writing in Progress: shared with either Mr. Isaacs or Mr. MacDonald; documents in this collection are pre-writing; drafts and writing for projects that you are currently working on.
Permanent Writing: shared with either Mr. Isaacs or Mr. MacDonald; documents in this collection have reached their final stage of completion. You consider them "finished for now." This is a portfolio of your completed work.
Documents should have an SMPA heading in the upper right hand corner, be double-spaced, use Times New Roman font, and be font size 12.
Save documents using clear titles and your initials or name. Example: Personal Narrative_CMF
Peer and teacher responses will be conducted by inserting comments on GoogleDocs. When conducting RPPQD, writers will always read their piece to the responder and the responder will always orally repeat to the writer. The Praise, Present Confusion, Question, and Discuss Alternatives can be done through inserting comments on GoogleDocs.
When you are ready for a peer review (RPPQD session), find another student who is also ready. They may be finished with their piece or just at a point where they are looking for some feedback. Move to a place in the room where your conferring will not disrupt other writers.
When you want to confer with the teacher about your writing on GoogleDocs, raise your hand, and we will confer on GoogleDocs either in the "Chat" function or by inserting comments.
Never delete any comments inserted into your document. It is a part of the history of the piece. If the comments become a distraction, you may "hide" them, but never "trash" them.
Remember: Writing is thinking on paper. Do nothing to distract other writers. Do not put your words into others' brains while we are trying to write and create.
Move to a place in the classroom where you are calm, comfortable and inspired to write. Move to a place where you will not be distracted and you will not be distracting. With that said:
You may not work some place that will endanger you or someone else
You may not work some place that will endanger the equipment you are using (i.e. the laptops)
The teacher reserves the right to require that you move to a different seat or spot in the classroom at any time for any reason
Write the entire time. You may work on a project for the Writer's Workshop or you may write in your Writer's Notebook using some of our Writer's Strategies, but it cannot be said enough--write the entire time.
Expectations
Table of Contents
Procedures